COMPANY·HISTORIES
SIC 2035

Pickles, Sauces, & Salad Dressings

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

16companies1893–1982founding years12still active4no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedVienna Sausage Manufacturing Co.FoundedVienna Sausage Manufacturing Co.
1893
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedBestfoodsFoundedBestfoods
1906
FoundedMcIlhenny CompanyFoundedMcIlhenny Company
1907
FoundedOscar Mayer Foods Corp.FoundedOscar Mayer Foods Corp.
1911
FoundedThe Clorox CompanyFoundedThe Clorox Company
1913
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedDean Foods CompanyFoundedDean Foods Company
1925
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedMontedison S.p.A.FoundedMontedison S.p.A.
1966
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedKraft Jacobs Suchard AGFoundedKraft Jacobs Suchard AG
1982
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Vienna Sausage Manufacturing Co. →
Active · founded 1893
Vienna Sausage Manufacturing Co.
Vienna Sausage Manufacturing Co. →
Active · founded 1893
Vienna Sausage Manufacturing Co.
Bestfoods →
Defunct · founded 1906
Bestfoods is one of the largest food companies in the United States, with two main businesses: consumer foods and…
Bestfoods →
Defunct · founded 1906
Bestfoods is one of the largest food companies in the United States, with two main businesses: consumer foods and…
McIlhenny Company →
Active · founded 1907
McIlhenny Company is a family-owned and operated manufacturer of Tabasco brand pepper sauce.
McIlhenny Company →
Active · founded 1907
McIlhenny Company is a family-owned and operated manufacturer of Tabasco brand pepper sauce.
Oscar Mayer Foods Corp. →
Active · founded 1911
Oscar Mayer Foods Corp.
Oscar Mayer Foods Corp. →
Active · founded 1911
Oscar Mayer Foods Corp.
The Clorox Company →
Active · founded 1913
Although best known for the household bleach that bears the firm's name, The Clorox Company is a diversified…
The Clorox Company →
Active · founded 1913
Although best known for the household bleach that bears the firm's name, The Clorox Company is a diversified…
Dean Foods Company →
Active · founded 1925
Through thoughtful acquisitions and careful financial management, Dean Foods Company has grown from a small regional…
Dean Foods Company →
Active · founded 1925
Through thoughtful acquisitions and careful financial management, Dean Foods Company has grown from a small regional…
Montedison S.p.A. →
Defunct · founded 1966 · Italy
Montedison S.p.A.
Montedison S.p.A. →
Defunct · founded 1966 · Italy
Montedison S.p.A.
Kraft Jacobs Suchard AG →
Active · founded 1982 · Switzerland
Kraft Jacobs Suchard AG--part of Philip Morris Companies Inc.
Kraft Jacobs Suchard AG →
Active · founded 1982 · Switzerland
Kraft Jacobs Suchard AG--part of Philip Morris Companies Inc.
Build It Today

Starting a pickles, sauces, & salad dressings company now

Each week we rebuild one of these stories for today's tools and capital.